When this team needs Pau Gasol the most, he's proven he cannot be relied on anymore and I challenge ANYONE to prove me wrong.

Soooooo you dont think that this is one of the most crucial points in lakers history? If we don't make the playoffs it will remembered as one of the biggest, if not the biggest failure in sports history. Is that enough pressure for you? If we didnt have Pau in the past two games, we wouldn't be talking about this, we'd be talking about the offseason. Get that through your thick head?

Soooooo you dont think that this is one of the most crucial points in lakers history? If we don't make the playoffs it will remembered as one of the biggest, if not the biggest failure in sports history. Is that enough pressure for you? If we didnt have Pau in the past two games, we wouldn't be talking about this, we'd be talking about the offseason. Get that through your thick head?

if pau played with this aggression at all during this season, we would be in the playoffs for sure. get that through your thick head.

Soooooo you dont think that this is one of the most crucial points in lakers history? If we don't make the playoffs it will remembered as one of the biggest, if not the biggest failure in sports history. Is that enough pressure for you? If we didnt have Pau in the past two games, we wouldn't be talking about this, we'd be talking about the offseason. Get that through your thick head?

Soooooo you dont think that this is one of the most crucial points in lakers history? If we don't make the playoffs it will remembered as one of the biggest, if not the biggest failure in sports history. Is that enough pressure for you? If we didnt have Pau in the past two games, we wouldn't be talking about this, we'd be talking about the offseason. Get that through your thick head?

Hell no! Why should I be? This season was sabotaged by the front office. Championship or bust...that's what it's all about with this franchise. You wanna be proud of a pathetic 8 seed team? Look at how low your expectations are. I'm ready for the offseason...BEEN ready for it. This franchise needs a thorough cleansing.

2) He disappeared at the end of 2011 up until recently, playing well only sporadically.

3) He has been playing some solid basketball as of late,

The last point comes with a heavy contingency that these games have been a very small sample size, and he could very well disappear again at a game's notice. Though I doubt anyone actively wants the latter to happen, it's just been the case for the past 2 years. No reason to hate on forum-member just because they hold a realist's perspective in all this.

Hell no! Why should I be? This season was sabotaged by the front office. Championship or bust...that's what it's all about with this franchise. You wanna be proud of a pathetic 8 seed team? Look at how low your expectations are. I'm ready for the offseason...BEEN ready for it. This franchise needs a thorough cleansing.

Do you think I or any other laker fan is happy with an 8th seed? But I'm pretty sure we have a better chance at winning the championship this year if we make the playoffs than if we don't make it.

It still boggles the mind how full of [expletive] some people are... how was Pau garbage for the "majority" of the last two seasons? I'll be the first to admit he had a couple poor playoff series, but his stats last season were incredibly solid:

17.4 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.7 APG shooting over 50% from the field

He's been hurt or mis-used all season until recently - numbers for the past 5 games:

2) He disappeared at the end of 2011 up until recently, playing well only sporadically.

3) He has been playing some solid basketball as of late,

The last point comes with a heavy contingency that these games have been a very small sample size, and he could very well disappear again at a game's notice. Though I doubt anyone actively wants the latter to happen, it's just been the case for the past 2 years. No reason to hate on forum-member just because they hold a realist's perspective in all this.

I'd like to put an asterisk on your second point. * Unless wearing an Espana jersey, in which case, he plays hard every game.

And therein lies the problem with Pau. He can play, and optimists see that. He often chooses not to bother, and pessimists see that.

Every time I read a Windu post about Pau all I hear is the KG quote lol "Paint your face clown!"

I suppose we all need something to vent at given how bad the Lakers have been since our last ring. I prefer to put Jimboy's face on my punching bag for not bringing in PJax and some outside help (ie. Delonte West, Michael Beasley, etc).

When this team was truly good enough to win a title..Pau was our second best player.Twice.

In 2011..Kobe played with heart but he was injured in that playoffs and helped contribute to us getting swept. Phil also lost the team a bit.

Pau has been bad. But recently he has played at an All Star level

I think people want basketball players to be who they want them to be.

They want Kobe to be perfect instead of one of the GOATs

People want Pau to have Dwight's physicality and Kobe's heart.

People want Dwight to have Pau's IQ and post moves.

Lakers gave us 7 Finals in just Kobe's tenure...

None between Magic and Kobe BTW, so every GAME should be entertaining. Either you're in love with the NBA and vested in thew Lakers, or you just want bragging rights when we win, which we do way more than anyone else.

It's like me loving Dr. Buss for what he did for this franchise and being angry that he wanted a D'Antoni type style instead of Phil Jackson, but I know one thing Mike Brown is gone because they didn't want to "waste " a season with a coach that was clueeless.

If you're dumb enough to think two coaches with NBA success, could hold back a team that would be talented enough to win a championship otherwise, you are delusional. It;s called confirmation bias. you want to blame every thing but the truth.

Every time I read a Windu post about Pau all I hear is the KG quote lol "Paint your face clown!"

I suppose we all need something to vent at given how bad the Lakers have been since our last ring. I prefer to put Jimboy's face on my punching bag for not bringing in PJax and some outside help (ie. Delonte West, Michael Beasley, etc).

Are you mad that he didn't keep Odom? Or Bynum? Are you mad that Clark was added? are you mad at the roster improvement from last season? Do you remember that last season we were 3rd, with a MUCH worse roster.

Would Blake have played better than Blake? Micheal Beasley was available?

If you're dumb enough to think two coaches with NBA success, could hold back a team that would be talented enough to win a championship otherwise, you are delusional. It;s called confirmation bias. you want to blame every thing but the truth.

Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni are two "coaches with NBA success"?

Neither has ever won a game in the NBA Finals. In 8 of 11 seasons, D'Antoni won a total of 1 playoff game. Both had brief runs of regular season success with MVP players on the floor, that amounted to nothing.

Again..Phil is the best, but if this team CAN ONLY EWIN WITH PHIL...While The Clippers have Del Negro and OKC has Scott Brooks and Miami has Spo and NY has Mike Woodson and Bk has PJ Carlisemo and etc, why can't we win with two different coaches that have won playoff series'

Again..Phil is the best, but if this team CAN ONLY EWIN WITH PHIL...While The Clippers have Del Negro and OKC has Scott Brooks and Miami has Spo and NY has Mike Woodson and Bk has PJ Carlisemo and etc, why can't we win with two different coaches that have won playoff series'

Rivers' record pre-Garnett was poor, but no one in 2006 would've described him as "a coach with NBA success". He was fired by Orlando, and was on his way to getting fired in Boston until the Celtics' mole in the 'Wolves FO sent them Garnett. For the record, I don't consider Rivers a particularly good coach; he lucked into one ring, and has just two other Conference Finals visits in 14 years. His value over replacement is minimal. Plug any average NBA coach in and the results would be the same, or a little better.

Carlisle made the playoffs every season but one before his glory year, despite coaching 3 different teams with nary an MVP and frequently won a series or two. His record simply does not resemble those of Brown or D'Antoni.

The Lakers could very likely win with a coach other than Jackson. We don't know, because they've been saddled with two of the worst coaches in their history and they are not good enough to overcome that. Two gentlemen who are, demonstrably not, "coaches with NBA success".